"No" is a political period piece that follows advertising executive René Saavedra and his contribution to the 1988 Chilean national election. Set in politically charged Chile, the film portrays a country in transition and the madness that ensues when political instability is in the air.
To set the political climate: Up until 1988, Chile had endured a 15-year militaristic dictatorship under General Augusto Pinochet, but due to a national referendum, the public is now able to vote "Yes" or "No" on eight more years of a dictatorship. Saavedra is brought in to mastermind "No's" political campaign, specifically the television advertisements.
Saavedra is seen as being on the cutting edge of advertising, with his exuberant youthfulness and knack for reaching a broad scope of people. The political TV spots are scheduled to air in 15-minute chunks followed by the opposing party's advertisements. What ensues is a smear campaign that threatens not only Saavedra's career but the well-being of his family as well.
In the face of international pressure and the dutifulness of the job at hand, Saavedra manages to come up with a masterful political campaign, the likes of which were ground-breaking at the time. The advertisements at first are joyful, albeit vapid, bursts of expressionism heavily influenced by American commercials at the time blended together with the gaudiness of the "We Are the World" charity campaign. Once the Chilean government tries to censor the ad campaign, the "No" ads become more serious, using the attempted censorship to their advantage. Saavedra's vision is in stark contrast to the "Yes" ads, which are brooding and scathing in their conception.
"No" is masterfully put together using archival footage that aired at the time of the election, which is seamlessly melded together with the actual film itself; it's like stepping into a time portal. The film has a shoestring budget feel to it and an adherent grainy quality, which accents the overall authenticity. Gael García Bernal is perfect in the lead role, delivering an understated yet brilliant performance. The supporting cast is equally strong, lending a natural well-roundedness to the film.
While the composition of the film and the casting are near flawless, "No" certainly has its faults as well. The juxtaposition of the two campaigns is at the forefront of the film, and it's almost to a fault. "No" is so focused on the advertisements themselves that Saavedra's personal struggles are almost trivialized at times. It's certainly not easy to succinctly portray an entire election process in a two-hour film, but despite the brilliant performances, the film falls just short of perfection.
The plot starts off meandering at first but quickly picks up to a fervor all the way up to the rather lackluster conclusion. However, despite these shortcomings, "No" still comes out ahead as a highly enjoyable drama. If historical thrillers are your genre of choice, "No" is certainly worth the theater experience.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veHCHhRx3Vk]